Philosophy For Our Times Consciousness and the limits of science PART 2 | Sean Carroll, Ellen Langer, and Tamar Gendler
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Oct 18, 2024 
Join Sean Carroll, a renowned physicist and podcast host, Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist and mindfulness expert, and Tamar Gendler, Yale’s philosophy dean. They dive into the limits of science in addressing consciousness. The trio debates how our language shapes reality and influences perceptions, particularly around mental experiences and chronic conditions. They tackle the dualism versus monism debate, questioning if materialism can truly capture the essence of our thoughts and feelings, all while pondering the profound connection between mind and body.
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Linguistic Errors
- Categories like physical and mental are human-made.
- These categories don't have independent existence but are perspectives on the world.
Monism vs. Dualism
- Tamar Gendler leans towards monism, unsure of distinctions between materialism, idealism, and panpsychism.
- She feels a strong epistemic pull towards dualism because of subjective experience.
Physicalism as the Best Framework
- Sean Carroll prefers physicalism as it provides the most comprehensive scientific description.
- He suggests that other descriptions, like mental ones, might exist, but the physical offers the best framework.